The present invention relates to a terminal apparatus capable of accommodating a copyright-compliant memory card and a copyright-noncompliant memory card which may be inserted together, as well as to a recording method for use with that terminal apparatus.
Today, there is a widespread practice of people gaining access through their PCs (personal computers) to desired servers on the WWW (Word Wide Web) network in order to download from there compressed digital data such as pieces of music or images to hard discs of the PCs for private entertainment.
Another practice becoming popular today involves connecting a portable terminal apparatus incorporating a nonvolatile memory such as a flash memory to the PC via an IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) 1394-compatible cable or an interface such as RS (Recommended Standard)-232C or USB (Universal Standard Bus). Compressed digital data such as pieces of music and images are transferred or copied from the hard disc drive of the PC to the flash memory. The portable terminal apparatus accommodating such a nonvolatile memory is then carried around by users to enjoy recorded music or other contents illustratively in outdoor situations.
There has been concern that digital data downloaded via the Internet are illegally copied and distributed because copyright controls implemented through encryption and/or authorization are yet to be strictly enforced.
With a view to enforcing stricter copyright controls, copyright-compliant memory cards have been proposed which include a signal processing circuit for authorization and encryption (with decryption and modulation) in a nonvolatile memory.
The currently proposed copyright-compliant memory cards are substantially identical in shape to existing copyright-noncompliant memory cards. In terms of appearance, it is difficult to distinguish the two types of memory cards.
At present, there are two major types of portable terminal apparatuses proposed: one dedicated to recording dictations, and the other for recording music. The dictation recording portable terminal apparatus replaces tape media used conventionally on tape recorders with a memory card. The music recording portable terminal apparatus substitutes a memory card for such conventional storage media as optical discs including MD (mini-disc) and CD-R employed by recorders for dubbing music.
Another type of portable terminal apparatus is conceivable which addresses both dictations and music. Such an apparatus is feasible because the key components of the foregoing two types of portable terminal apparatuses are interchangeable.
The proposed copyright-compliant memory card and conventional copyright-noncompliant memory card are substantially the same in shape and thus indistinguishable from each other in appearance. This can lead to some inconveniences, such as users inadvertently inserting a copyright-noncompliant memory card preparatory to recording copyright-protected contents, or loading a copyright-compliant memory card for recording copyright-unprotected contents.
Where a copyright-noncompliant memory card is erroneously inserted in order to record copyright-protected contents, arrangements could be made to inhibit the recording so as to protect copyrights. However, this can cause unnecessary frustrations to well-meaning users who completed a proper charging process before attempting to download desired copyright-protected contents from a server via a personal computer, only to find that no recording would take place because the inserted memory card was not compliant with copyrights.
It may happen that a copyright-noncompliant memory card has been inserted inadvertently for encrypted recording of digital signals from a CD or other sources. In that case, unsuspecting users are led to believe that the digital signals are being correctly recorded while in fact arrangements for inhibiting such recording are at work, with no contents recorded. This is a disappointing experience to users.
While getting copyright-protected contents recorded, the user may come to realize that a copyright-noncompliant memory card has been inadvertently inserted. In that case, the user may supplement (or replace) the wrong card with a copyright-compliant memory card. However, the initial portion of the contents thought to have been recorded is already lost. If the user has duly completed a charging process to purchase copyright-protected contents, a failure to record the contents to an inadvertently inserted wrong memory card means the user must pay the charges again for another recording.
It may also happen that a copyright-compliant memory card is inadvertently inserted preparatory to recording copyright-unprotected contents. In that case, too, users are led to believe that important contents such as conference proceedings are being correctly recorded while in fact arrangements for inhibiting such recording are at work, with no contents recorded.
Furthermore, while getting copyright-unprotected contents recorded, the user may come to realize that a copyright-compliant memory card has been inadvertently inserted. In that case, the user may supplement (or replace) the wrong card with a copyright-noncompliant memory card. Again, the initial portion of the contents thought to have been recorded is already lost.
When copyright-compliant memory cards aimed at protecting copyrights are commercialized, users may experience some of the inconveniences outlined above due to the difficulty in distinguishing copyright-compliant and copyright-noncompliant memory cards. This may turn out to be an impediment to promoting the use of such memory cards.